Raindrops
by tmntfan4eva
Summary: Scott just can't sleep, not after that elimination ceremony - that hug. While he's out he notices Courtney and follows her. But what is she doing out here? And in the rain. He almost hopes she can't sleep for the same reason. Maybe then he can have a use for this stupid umbrella and the rain. Set just after the fourth episode.


**Here - have another one. I am so in love with this pairing I swear it's unhealthy. This story is based off of a Scourtney picture on tumblr. It's not too hard to find in the tag if you want to see it. Also, I made the roofs tin in the story because yes. It's illogical for a mansion to have a tin roof but just go with it. Other than that, enjoy!**

The rain beats steadily on the tin roofs of the cabins and mansion, creating a rhythm soothing to the ears. It lulls the contestants to sleep quickly, all but one of them. Scott lays awake in his bed with the fluffy pillows and Godlike sheets. It's in part because he loves to listen to the rain, always has and always will, but also because of the day's events. He is still tingling in exhilaration, especially from that hug. His mind is abuzz with the possibilities it could hold.

He's never really cared about anyone, and definitely not in this way. Actually, he's never even dated anyone either. It was never his thing. There were just too many rules, mostly pertaining to the hygiene department. Girls were just so high maintenance it wasn't worth it. Not to mention all that senseless time split among 'him' and 'them'.

But today, with Courtney, it was somehow different. He smiles wryly as the irony falls on him. Out of all those girls who were too high maintenance, she is at least ten times worse. Still, for once he can't help himself. She's pretty, especially when her face twists in anger and even more so when she becomes stunned. Stunned by him.

He rolls over and out of bed. He treads softly across the room and slinks down the brilliant staircase. He won't go out in it, but he wants to be closer to the rain. Not like he's getting much sleep anyway. Perhaps the cool atmosphere will clear his thoughts too, if he's lucky. He frowns. Or is that unlucky?

He wanders out to the porch and settles just at the edge of the eaves. The water slides off and cascades before his eyes, landing in an eternal stream just past his shoes. He rests his elbow on a knee and sets his chin in the palm. He shuts his eyes and lets the rain drown out everything, everything but the image of her face.

He imagines her expression changing in the slightest and biggest of ways. She smiles at him one minute, a full toothed grin, and then flashes him an intense look the next. She looks shocked, embarrassed and even a bit coy in one instant. One expression, however, that he just can't envision is sadness. He tries to make her features shift but it never looks quite right to him. It hits him then that he has yet to see her show anything resembling sadness.

He opens his eyes and frowns. She has to feel it, he reasons. She just must hide it extraordinarily well. Then again, after so many years of drama on this show he doubts much can get to her like that anymore – if it ever did. He admits he never watched any old seasons, not seriously enough to pick out any moments of specific characters. He couldn't even say for sure how she was voted off that first time.

He perks then. A soft sound reaches him, an unnatural break in the rain. He sits up straight and looks with wide eyes. He doubts it's anything threatening, but it could be one of the other team's members coming around to mess with something of theirs.

For the longest time he doesn't hear it again. But instead of lowering his guard that only makes him ten times more alert. Then there's another sound, one with more of a crunching quality than a creaking like the first. In the next instant he sees the silhouette of someone. He looks hard and long at it, as long as he can before their figure fades in the veil of rain.

Was that…Courtney? He makes a face. Why on earth would she be out at this hour – and in the rain. "Maybe she likes it…?" He shrugs. She doesn't seem the type. Heck, maybe it wasn't even her. It could have just as easily been Heather or Gwen or whoever. Still, he has a gut feeling that it was neither of them. So he stands quickly and runs back into the mansion.

He snatches up the umbrella lying against the wall and heads right back out. He opens it, but he doesn't bother holding it over his head. Unlike a lot of people, he likes the feel of the water as it slides through his hair and across his pale skin. It makes him feel more alive.

He walks quietly, squinting into the darkness. The darkness itself isn't the problem. He has gone out late at night enough to almost have his own kind of night vision. But the rain, it makes it much harder to see, especially when looking for a moving target.

He stops suddenly. He looks thoughtfully up at the darkened sky. She probably isn't moving anymore though. But where would she go? Where do her most powerful memories lie? He huffs. If only he had watched the first season more closely.

He shrugs. He'll just go to the only place he can think of first. So he trudges over soggy ground until he comes to the rocks leading up to the elimination grounds. God knows why she would want to come here. It's definitely not out of the rain. Although it is out of the way. He makes a soft contemplative sound. He might as well just see.

Before he even reaches the top he sees her and he immediately freezes. She is sitting on one of the stumps, the one farthest away. Her body is turned away from him, but he can just make out an expression from her profile. She's clearly thinking hard on something, but that isn't all that he sees. While mostly contemplative there remains an edge to it. One that's almost…sad.

Scott's brows knit together. Sad? What for? He scrabbles to think of something that might have happened today to upset her, but he can't find even the smallest straw to grasp onto. Whatever it was was not in the middle of the challenge.

It's not that he really needs to know though. It's her business. He just wants to give her this umbrella anyway. So he lets his curiosity slide off of him like the rain and he walks over to her.

Courtney stares intently at the ground. Her arms are crossed and her mind focused. She hasn't been able to forget Gwen's confessional. She doesn't know what to think anymore. It's just impossible. How is she really supposed to forgive Gwen? But at the same time how can she continue to be so cruel?

A twig snaps and she jerks upright. She sucks in a soft breath and casts wide eyes back toward the sound. She quickly hides her shock behind narrowed eyes as she sees the culprit. She slumps instantly and breathes out heavily. She does not acknowledge him though. She hopes he might go away. What is he even doing here anyway? Moron.

Scott looks hopefully at her for the brief moment of eye contact and then he deflates slightly. He frowns and raises a brow. Is she ignoring him? Not that that's anything world shattering. All girls pretend he doesn't exist, especially girls like her. Still, he quickly lets it go. He smiles and steps over just at her side. "So," He lifts the umbrella and holds it at an angle over her. "Do you like the rain?"

Courtney huffs. She can't really ignore him now. "Not really." She glances irritably at him from the corner of her eye. "Stupid stuff makes it impossible to sleep. All that racket on the roofs." She flips her hand about in a small circle.

Scott stifles a snicker. However he can't keep himself from grinning at her. "Then why are you out in 'the stuff'?" He uses one hand as quotation marks. "Shouldn't you be back in your bed fit for a queen?" He raises a brow.

Courtney scowls fiercely. "I don't know." She throws her hands up. "What are **you** doing out here?"

Scott is unaffected by her harshness. He shrugs. "I like the rain."

Courtney's frown deepens, but the anger in her eyes fades noticeably. Confusion clouds them instead. "_Why?_" Her brows furrow. "It's the worst."

"I grew up on a farm. Our house had a tin roof and there was no way you couldn't get used to it and eventually like it." He looks up, his gaze softening with memory. "I mean, no matter how miserable it was compared to normal kids' lives, it was still home."

Courtney pauses for a long moment. "So what?" She dares to turn her head to get a better look at him. "You came out to walk in the rain?" She grimaces slightly. "For memories?" She finds it's almost always better to run from the nasty things, even the ones that meant so much – even home.

Scott notices her looking more at him now. He stares back. "Nah, I mean, not really." He tightens his grip on the umbrella. He bites his lip. There's no way he can tell her _that_ though. "I just heard someone come out and wanted to know who it was."

Courtney snorts. "Well. You found me." She smiles, but is too sarcastic to be genuine. "So you can just go back to the mansion already." A shiver suddenly races up her spine and her teeth chatter briefly together. She automatically slides her arms upward and wraps herself in a lose hug.

Scott's eyes widen in curiosity. "Are you cold?" Concern flickers in his eyes.

Courtney lowers her head and glowers at the ground. "No." She grumbles. She sticks out her lower lip. She shudders again despite her efforts. "Why would I be cold? It's not even that cold out here."

Scott tilts his head slightly and regards her thoughtfully. "Well," He says slowly. He crouches down more at her level. He wiggles the umbrella a little to get her attention on it.

Courtney notices his motion and raises a brow. She peers curiously around at him. "What?"

Scott smiles sheepishly. "At least take this." He moves the handle closer to her grasp, making sure to keep it positioned so the water does not reach her. "You'll get sick if you sit out here too long in the rain." He chuckles. "Heck, even I'd get sick after too long. And I sit out in the rain for hours at a time."

Courtney opens her mouth around empty words at first. She slowly closes it again and a small half smile twitches at her lips. "I'll be fine." She whispers. "I just want to sit out here for a little longer and think. I'll be right back."

"Still," He wiggles the umbrella again. "Please just take it."

Courtney stiffly shakes her head. "What if…" Lines crease her face and her expression is suddenly devoid of even the slightest hint of displeasure. "I deserve it…?"

Scott starts. "What?" He stares at her in disbelief.

Courtney ignores his surprise. She lowers her head and hugs herself tighter. "Gwen…" She speaks half to herself, half to him. "In the confessional today…she was crying." That familiar sad edge returns, this time much more powerfully. "…because of me."

Scott drums his fingers together nervously. There's probably some history there, between her and the Goth, but he is ashamed to say he knows nothing of it. "Well, how do you really know it's because of you?" He says carefully. The Goth did want her forgiveness or something, but is that really all it is?

Courtney scoffs, a sound that comes out more choked than she means. "Watch World Tour." She can't bear to explain it to him, to relieve those horrible days. It was too much then, and is too much now. Two years later. "Get back to me then."

Scott frowns deeply. "Look, whatever happened, it doesn't mean you deserve to be sick." He shifts the umbrella to his other hand and reaches out around her, taking hold of the side of her shoulder. "So come on." He tries to pull her into a standing position with him.

A flash of irritation passes over her features, but it just as quickly fades. She practically goes limp as she lets him pull her up. She doesn't want to go back, but she doesn't feel like fighting much anymore. She just wants to feel absolved from her newfound guilt, no matter how much it isn't really her fault.

"Wanna go back to the mansion then?" As long as she stays out of the rain he doesn't mind if she goes back, heads to the woods, or the beach, or anywhere. Although he can't lie – he'd much rather her go with him.

Courtney huffs. "I guess." She shrugs his hand off of her shoulder and takes one sidestep. She would move clear across the elimination area, but she can't deny she appreciates the umbrella. "But don't touch me." Her arm closest to him tingles with the close proximity.

Scott smirks. He grabs her hand, uncurls her fingers and places the umbrella in it. He steps quickly away from her. "Ok."

Courtney prepares to bite back, but he has touched her and pulled away so fast she's left with no reason to. Her brows knit together and her eyes cloud with confusion. "You don't have to do that."

Scott shrugs. "It's alright." He lifts his head toward the pouring sky. "You want to be alone. I like the rain." He looks back at her, smiling brightly. "It's a win-win."

Courtney curls her fingers tighter around the handle. She looks blankly down at her other hand, as if she expects the answer to her feelings to be written on her palm. "Scott…" She slowly brings her eyes up to his.

Scott tilts his head slightly. "Yeah?"

"Why'd you really come out here?" She gives him a hard look, but it is dampened by her apprehension of the truth.

Scott averts his eyes. There is a long moment of silence where he can feel nothing but the rain and her intense gaze on him. "I knew it was you." He finally admits. "I was worried, cause of the rain. So I, brought that…for you."

Courtney smiles to herself. She feels a flutter in her chest. It's nice to have someone care, even if she doesn't want anything to do with relationships right now. "Then let's share it." She tentatively suggests.

Scott's eyes widen. His muscles tense and he can't help but take a step away. "W-What?"

Courtney snorts. "Come on." She moves back toward him. She leaves no more than an inch of space between them in order to shield them both from the rain. "I can't take your umbrella and just leave you out here." Weird. She'd definitely do that to anyone else.

Scott swallows hard. Now that she is so willing he feels all kinds of awkward. It's true that this is what he wants, but somehow he never expected it to end here. "Ok…" He smiles meekly.

Courtney frowns at his altered demeanor. "But you're holding it." She says sternly, shoving it back at him. She scowls, but just beneath the surface lays amusement and content.

Scott blinks down at her. Then he grins, the nervousness washing off of him in an instant. Somehow her colder demeanor is much more relaxing. "Yeah, ok." He takes the handle. He brushes against her hand in the process.

Courtney sucks in a sharp breath and pulls her hand back close to her chest.

Scott jumps at her severe reaction. He nearly drops the umbrella, the rain hitting him again for a moment in the fumble. Once under control, he breathes out heavily.

Courtney jerks her head in the opposite direction of him. It was nothing big, but she feels her cheeks heat up anyway. She bites her lip and peers down at her hand. She touches it lightly with the other and smiles despite herself. "Sorry." She whispers. "I…thought it was a bug." _Ha._

Scott recovers and smiles softly over at her. "S'fine. Let's just go."

Courtney stands straight and looks back at him. "Yeah, alright." They walk slowly to the mansion, the rain beating steadily against the umbrella. Yet somehow it's different now to her. The rhythm no longer bothers her. In fact, it's almost kind of nice.

Their soft footsteps shift from soggy slaps to a light tapping as they head up the porch. Scott tilts the umbrella and shakes it off. Then he closes it before bringing his attention to her. He searches for something to say – anything. But all he can do is stare down at her freckled face.

Courtney stares back. She struggles just as badly to find a way to break the awkward silence. "Scott…" She says slowly. "…thank you."

Scott shrugs. "I didn't really do anything."

Courtney shakes her head. "No, you did." She smiles. "You made me feel better." _You made me feel special. _"And I think I can sleep now."

Scott returns her sentiments. "Me too."

With a nod each they move through the door and up the stairs to their respective rooms. Even as they separate their thoughts linger with the other. And Scott can finally see it – her sad edge. But he doesn't dwell on it. He falls asleep imagining her soft smile and heated cheeks. And Courtney sleeps to his bashful expression, the raindrops creating an all too perfect lullaby for them both.

**So, what did you think? Good, bad, in between? In character or not? It's my headcanon that Scott is more comfortable around her when she's bossy/irritated/has a more fierce front even if he knows she doesn't mean it. He gets all awkward when she starts being genuine and sweet. This, however, does _not_ mean he actively tries to make her mad. He hates it when she's irritated with him personally. It's not like Duncney.**

**Please review! :)**


End file.
